So what did you make of that heap of sh**te last night?
Very sluggish performance.
They always make hard work of the qualifiers for the CL.
At least they take a lead into the next leg in two weeks and they have a couple of games to sharpen up.

Of the new arrivals, Bellamy took his goal well and Pennant was so-so. Speedy Gonzalez only had an eight minute cameo but looked impressive and the goal could be priceless!

[quote="sarah_lennon"]It's a change not to lose 1-0. But for a while there.

All looked very rusty, but thought Luis did well, and surely timmy has to start up front!

oh and Donny - the signature? I get it but it could sound decidedly Munster to the uninitiated![/quote]

Point taken but it will stay for a while until I get bored with it.
I'm surprised Munster have never adopted it as an anthem actually, now I think of it. There I've adjusted it slightly now to keep everyone happy.

Garcia did do reasonably well I suppose and there was more direction to the team when Big Timmy came on alright. Zenden (Smicer part deux) did precisely nothing as usual. He should only be considered if the first-team squad is struck down by bubonic plague.

I thought Pennant was really good. He fashioned some great crosses from tight positions. Bellamy showed well too. Unfortunately their team mates were for the most part mediocre. Our left side was particularly poor.

In the end Pepe Reine saved a bad night from turning into a catastrophe.

A lot of work still to be done then in terms of both the team and the tie. 5/10

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.

Duke Raoul wrote:I thought Pennant was really good. He fashioned some great crosses from tight positions. Bellamy showed well too. Unfortunately their team mates were for the most part mediocre. Our left side was particularly poor.

In the end Pepe Reine saved a bad night from turning into a catastrophe.

A lot of work still to be done then in terms of both the team and the tie. 5/10

I still think the Elephant in the sitting room is where we play Gerrard.

Last night he played just behind Bellamy and it didn't look right at all. I think he's okay playing off Crouch cause Timmy holds the ball up well, but that isn't Bellamy's game at all.
We could go back to using Crouch on his own up there but then we're lacking pace up front, like last year. So then we could play Bellamy up front with Crouch, but then Gerrard could take one of the central midfield slots.
So then do we drop Sissoko or Alonso? Sissoko does a huge amount of donkey work for the week and Alonso on song runs the game with his passing.
When Alonso and Gerrard have been paired together in central midfield, it generally hasn't been successful as neither wants to do the holding role.
So who do Rafa leave out?

Last season he avoided the problem by playing Stevie on the right but it was always a short-term solution but this season he's going to have to make the call. I think our prospects for success will depend on his choice.

The real (though not simple) solution to the Gerrard conundrum is to continue playing him as the nominal right-sided midfielder. I know he won't be happy, but he will be damned effective.

Now I'm sure he'll bristle at the idea of playing out there (a player of his status, the next England captain etc.) but the bottom line is that he is not an orthodox midfielder and he is not a 'number 10'. His best role is as an attacking midfielder in much the same way as Ronaldinho plays for Barca or Nedved for Juve or Zidane in his pomp for Real. All three played from the left of midfield and all three won the Balon Do'or from that position.

It looks like Bellamy will be partnering this guy:

Anfield deal for Kuyt moves closer

By Ian Doyle, Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ was last night closing in on his main summer transfer target Dirk Kuyt.

Liverpool are near to agreeing terms with Feyenoord on a deal for the 26-year-old Holland international thought to be worth in the region of £10million.

Liverpool had a £10m offer for Kuyt rejected by the Dutch team last month, but that was a deal worth £6m up front and included Jerzy Dudek and Jan Kromkamp moving back to Holland.

However, the new offer to Feyenoord is a cash-only deal, with Benitez deciding on making a fresh move for the forward after raising £2m from the sale of Djimi Traore to Charlton Athletic earlier this week.

Benitez is a long-time admirer of Kuyt, who was a transfer target for Everton last season and has been attracting strong interest from Newcastle United.
Kuyt informed Feyenoord of his intention to leave the club on his return from World Cup duty in Germany this summer, with the striker understood to prefer a move to Anfield. Now that transfer looks increasingly likely, with negotiations at an advanced stage.

- For £10 million in cold cash I think I'd prefer Dean Ashton.

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.

Duke Raoul wrote:The real (though not simple) solution to the Gerrard conundrum is to continue playing him as the nominal right-sided midfielder. I know he won't be happy, but he will be damned effective.

Now I'm sure he'll bristle at the idea of playing out there (a player of his status, the next England captain etc.) but the bottom line is that he is not an orthodox midfielder and he is not a 'number 10'. His best role is as an attacking midfielder in much the same way as Ronaldinho plays for Barca or Nedved for Juve or Zidane in his pomp for Real. All three played from the left of midfield and all three won the Balon Do'or from that position.

It looks like Bellamy will be partnering this guy:

Anfield deal for Kuyt moves closer

By Ian Doyle, Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ was last night closing in on his main summer transfer target Dirk Kuyt.

Liverpool are near to agreeing terms with Feyenoord on a deal for the 26-year-old Holland international thought to be worth in the region of £10million.

Liverpool had a £10m offer for Kuyt rejected by the Dutch team last month, but that was a deal worth £6m up front and included Jerzy Dudek and Jan Kromkamp moving back to Holland.

However, the new offer to Feyenoord is a cash-only deal, with Benitez deciding on making a fresh move for the forward after raising £2m from the sale of Djimi Traore to Charlton Athletic earlier this week.

Benitez is a long-time admirer of Kuyt, who was a transfer target for Everton last season and has been attracting strong interest from Newcastle United. Kuyt informed Feyenoord of his intention to leave the club on his return from World Cup duty in Germany this summer, with the striker understood to prefer a move to Anfield. Now that transfer looks increasingly likely, with negotiations at an advanced stage.

Duke Raoul wrote:The real (though not simple) solution to the Gerrard conundrum is to continue playing him as the nominal right-sided midfielder. I know he won't be happy, but he will be damned effective.

Now I'm sure he'll bristle at the idea of playing out there (a player of his status, the next England captain etc.) but the bottom line is that he is not an orthodox midfielder and he is not a 'number 10'. His best role is as an attacking midfielder in much the same way as Ronaldinho plays for Barca or Nedved for Juve or Zidane in his pomp for Real. All three played from the left of midfield and all three won the Balon Do'or from that position.

It looks like Bellamy will be partnering this guy:

Anfield deal for Kuyt moves closer

- For £10 million in cold cash I think I'd prefer Dean Ashton.

I agree with you to a certain extent, but Gerrard made it known he only agreed to played that position until there was a viable alternative. He wants to play down the middle and in truth with his goal scoring ability we need him closer to the box.

As for Kuyt, I wasn't impressed by him in the World Cup at all. Is there NO other strikers out there at all? The fact that no other big club seems to be interested in him doesn't fill me with great confidence either.